Aging in Hingham - Town of Hingham Massachusetts

Figure 10: Importance of remaining in Hingham for as long as possible, by age groupSeniors aged 80+95%Seniors82%13%Extremely or very importantSomewhat importantNot very/not at all importantBoomers67%23%10%0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Source: Town of Hingham Department of Elder Services Survey of Residents Age 45 & Over, 2012Social SupportAs discussed above, social support is important to the health and well-being for individuals of allages. Having friends, family members, and neighbors who can be relied upon is especiallyimportant among people who are becoming frail, and may make the difference betweenremaining independent within the community and moving into a nursing home or other supportiveresidence. Community survey results suggest that most Hingham residents are actively engagedin social activities and enjoy good support from their social networks. Key indicators of socialsupport include living arrangements and presence of a spouse or partner. As shown in Figure 11,more than eight out of ten Boomers are married or living with a partner, as are two-thirds ofSeniors. As a result, relatively few Boomers—about 8%—live alone, while the rest live inhouseholds that include a spouse, children, and/or other relatives (Figure 12). Living alone is farmore common among Seniors, with nearly 30% living in one-person households. 12 The mostcommon living situation for Seniors in Hingham is living in a household including a spouse but noother residents, reported by 58% of Seniors.12 This statistic from the Hingham community survey refers to those who responded to the survey and were aged 60and over. Data from the American Community Survey, cited earlier, suggests that a somewhat larger share (33%) ofthose aged 65 and older lives alone. The difference between these two statistics is a reflection both of the higherlikelihood of living alone among individuals with increased age (here, those aged 65+ compared to those aged 60+),due especially to higher rates of widowhood, and to the different data sources used.28